In the last two years, there has been an ‘awakening' within the Star Wars franchise. Previously associated exclusively to the cinema (unless you count the likes of inconsequential and non-canon animated throwbacks such as Ewoks and Droids) the faraway galaxy has found a second home on Disney+ with a new wave of television shows.
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The Book of Boba Fett will stream later this year, while filming is already underway for Rogue One prequel show Andor, and the long-awaited Obi-Wan Kenobi. But there's also a live-action Ahsoka series on the horizon. Not many details have been released for the upcoming series, but we've reached out to the Force for everything we can find, so here's everything we know about the Ahsoka series so far…
Who is Ahsoka Tano?
If you aren't familiar with the character, then here's a crash course on everything you need to know about Ahsoka Tano. She first appeared in The Clone Wars as a young apprentice to Anakin Skywalker. As the wars raged, she grew into a capable young Padawan, but would ultimately leave the Order after becoming disenfranchised.
She returned to the fold in later years in Rebels, during the height of the Empire, and was reunited with Anakin (as Darth Vader) in an explosive lightsaber duel. Now, Ahsoka denounces her Jedi title, however, she remains a powerful Force user and lightsaber-wielder – which is evident from her appearance in The Mandalorian.
When is the Ahsoka series set?
In the years between the end of Return of the Jedi and her appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2, which is some five years after the end of the original trilogy, there's no material on Ahsoka's whereabouts or what she was up to.
The same can be said about the time between her ‘disappearance' in season 2 of Rebels and her reappearance in the final season's epilogue, a year after Return of the Jedi. So when is the Ahsoka series set? Here's what Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy said last year, regarding the timeline of all the upcoming live-action shows:
"Today, I'm excited to share with you that Jon and Dave are concurrently developing two new spinoff series exclusively for Disney+: one, The Rangers of the New Republic, and the other featuring fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano. Set within the timeline of The Mandalorian, these interconnected shows, along with future stories, will excite new audiences, embrace our most passionate fans, and will culminate in a climactic story event."
Now that we know the show will take place during the timeline of The Mandalorian, it's likely we will pick up some time after we last saw Ahsoka, which was on the forest planet of Corvus, following her encounter with Din Jarin and Grogu.
What will the Ahsoka series be about?
Very little has been released about the show's plot, but the official Star Wars website StarWars.com does state the following: After making her long-awaited live-action debut in The Mandalorian, Ahsoka Tano's story, written by Dave Filoni, will continue in a limited series starring Rosario Dawson and executive produced by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau. Of course, this doesn't reveal too much at all, other than that the show will at some point exist, but if we look back to "The Jedi", Ahsoka's ‘backdoor pilot' episode in The Mandalorian Season 2, there are plenty of clues as to where her journey will take her.
We meet her on Corvus, a barren wasteland where she appears to be in exile, like many other Jedi throughout the galaxy who survived the Great Jedi Purge. While Ahsoka no longer seems to be in contact with other Jedi, she does seem to be on a mission, one that involves finding the whereabouts of Ezra Bridger, the young Jedi from the animated show Rebels. She doesn't say his name, but during her fight with Elsbeth, she does demand to know where Grand Admiral Thrawn is.
Thrawn is a villain from Rebels, and the last time we see him was at the end of the show, when Ezra sacrifices himself to take down the imperial officer, by drawing him into a sort of ‘natural' hyperspace, leaving both of their fates unknown. When Rebels draws to a close, we jump forward to a year after Return of the Jedi, when Ahsoka reappears to meet with Sabine Wren, so that they can both begin their search for Ezra.
Is there an Ahsoka series trailer?
There is no trailer for the series just yet, and seeing as we're yet to see anything for even the likes of The Book of Boba Fett, which airs just later this year, it's unlikely we'll see anything for Ahsoka until next year, sometime before it arrives on Disney+.
Will Ahsoka be a limited series?
Yes – unlike The Mandalorian, Ahsoka will be a limited series, much like the MCU's WandaVision and Loki. The number of episodes is yet to be confirmed; however, the magic number is usually six or eight.
Will Ahsoka be in the Obi-Wan series?
While Rosario Dawson hasn't appeared in the official cast list for Obi-Wan Kenobi, it's still possible Ahsoka could make an appearance. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, so Ahsoka would be a lot younger than she will be in the Ahsoka series, which means that another actress would need to take on the role.
This would also need to be the case in the Ahsoka series itself, should the show opt for any flashback sequences, whether they're used to fill in the gaps in her history, or ‘recap' scenes from The Clone Wars and Rebels in live-action, just like those shows did with some of the films.
Will Anakin appear in Ahsoka?
In late October, it was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter that Hayden Christensen will be appearing in the Ahsoka series. Christensen is also set to reprise his role of Anakin Skywalker (aka Darth Vader) in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it's possible they will be flashback sequences only, given that he is Darth Vader at the time the series is set.
As for his appearance in Ahsoka, it's possible his role will also be flashback sequences, maybe even recap scenes from The Clone Wars that turn animation into live-action. Anything outside of such sequences wouldn't be possible, as Darth Vader is dead at the time of the Ahsoka series, which is around five years after the events of Return of the Jedi. He could, however, appear as a Force Ghost, which is the most likely scenario.
Ahsoka cast
Since her debut in The Clone Wars in 2008, Ahsoka Tano has become one of the most beloved characters in the franchise and has since appeared in Rebels and The Mandalorian. The Ahsoka series will see the return of Rosario Dawson, who previously brought the animated-only character (voiced by Ashley Eckstein, who can also be heard in the sequel trilogy's The Rise of Skywalker) to life in season two of The Mandalorian.
While no other cast member besides Dawson has been confirmed, there is plenty of speculation about other returning characters. Live-action Aladdin actor Mena Massoud is rumored to be playing an older Ezra Bridger, while a more recent rumor suggests Bariss Offee – a fellow Padawan from The Clone Wars who played a pivotal role in Ahsoka's journey - will be making an appearance.
As well as Mena Massoud rumored to be played Ezra Bridger, Lars Mikkelsen is also rumored to be playing Grand Admiral Thrawn.
Hayden Christensen is now also confirmed to be appearing.
In November, it was confirmed that 27-year-old actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo will be playing 'Star Wars: Rebels' character Sabine Wren in the upcoming series. 'Pacific Rim: Uprising' star Ivanna Sakhno has also been confirmed to have a role.
Ahsoka series news
There might be no trailer insight for the Ahsoka series – which is no surprise considering it hasn't even started filming yet – but there is the above official poster fans can chew on and try to decipher in the meantime.
One of the many upcoming live-action Star Wars shows, Rangers of the New Republic, was recently put on hold by Lucasfilm. While it remains to be seen whether the show will still go forward at some point, its halting is likely related to the Gina Carano controversy. Along with The Mandalorian, Rangers of the New Republic was set to "crossover" with the Ahsoka series in some capacity.
According to recent reports, actors Mena Massoud and Lars Mikkelsen are rumored to be playing Ezra Bridger and Grand Admiral Thrawn in the upcoming series.
Rosario Dawson recently shared a video to her Instagram account, showing her play-fighting with two lightsabers and a makeshift opponent. The video was taken on the set of upcoming miniseries DMZ.
On August 11, it was confirmed that there has been an official casting call for a live-action version of Sabine Wren for the Ahsoka series, a character from the animated show Star Wars: Rebels.
In September, Bo-Katan actress Katee Sackhoff discussed the possibility of working alongside Rosario Dawson in the upcoming Ahsoka series, though her appearance in the show has not been confirmed.
In late October, it was confirmed that Hayden Christensen will be reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker in the show.
27-year-old actress Natasha Liu Bordizzo is confirmed to be playing Sabine Wren in the show, while Ivanno Sakhno has been cast in an undisclosed role.
When is the Ahsoka series coming out?
Ahsoka is set for release sometime during 2022 on Disney+.
The idea of a live-action Star Wars show was once but a dream, but The Mandalorian – now two seasons deep - is a phenomenal hit and has been the catalyst for so many upcoming live-action shows, and now we can't quite imagine a galaxy without them.